Sidekicks’ keeper is feeling right at home between the pipes

When the Dallas Sidekicks’ All-Star veteran goaltender Sagu was injured early this season, Serbian born Dejan Milosevic was thrust into the spotlight and served as the team’s netminder for nine straight games. Having only been tested in one match last season, Milosevic quickly proved himself to both coaches and fans and came out on top, with a save percentage of .718 and goals against average of 4.13. These winning statistics have positioned him at the very top of the PASL’s goalie leader’s standings.

What makes these statistics even more impressive is that just a few short years ago the 27-year-old, known by his nickname of Milo, was not only new to the U.S.A. and learning English, but also completely new to the world of indoor soccer.

Born in 1986 in Belgrade, soccer was a huge part of Milo’s life early on. He attended the youth academy for Serbian club FK Partizan in his hometown. After a stint playing in the country’s second division, Milo made the decision to focus on his education and accepted a scholarship offer in the U.S.A. at the age of 23.

“I made the decision with my family to put school first,” Milo said. “It was really important for me to have a degree to fall back on, and luckily I got to play soccer at the same time.”

While tasked with learning English and taking classes, the goalkeeper still managed to excel on the soccer field. After a successful time at Arizona Western University (where he was a two-time All-Conference selection and named MVP of the Region I finals in 2010), Milo ended up at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. There, he racked up 162 saves and was named first team All-Southwest Region in 2012 by the NSCAA.

After officially signing with the Sidekicks in January of 2013, Milo worked hard to adapt to the drastic changes goaltending in indoor soccer commanded.

“I had never seen this kind of indoor soccer before, so it was a huge adjustment,” Milo said. “Sagu really took me under his wing and helped me get the hang of it, but the best way to get experience is by playing, and I had a really great experience with my run this season.”

With Sagu out of the lineup with a hip flexor injury, Milo served as the Sidekicks’ last defensive weapon for nine straight games, earning a winning record of 8-1. His most memorable moment came on Jan. 4, where he earned just the seventh shutout in the history of the PASL on the road against the Wichita B-52s.

“I knew shutouts were rare, but didn’t know how big of a deal it was until after,” Milo said. “It was a great feeling for the whole team.”

Feeling more comfortable and confident, the goalkeeper is looking forward to his future in indoor soccer and with the Dallas Sidekicks. Outside of the team, he is building a career around the sport he loves, currently an assistant coach at Texas Wesleyan and owner of the MGK Goalkeeper Academy.

“I want to see where indoor soccer will take me,” Milo said. “This has been a great season, and I’m excited to go to playoffs with my team and compete for the championship.”

Individual and season tickets for the Dallas Sidekicks are on sale now through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.dallassidekicks.net or call 214-550-6130. Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @GoSidekicks or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoSidekicks.